Singapore's High Court Accuses WSJ Of Defaming Legal Process

By Eriq Gardner

The Wall Street Journal has been sanctioned by Singapore’s high court for "scandalizing the court" and the country's legal process by publishing two editorials and a letter to the editor that questioned the judiciary’s independence from the ruling government.

Two of the WSJ's editors were held in contempt. The paper's Asian edition was also fined $16,500.

In his ruling, Justice Tay Yong Kwang wrote that what the WSJ published, “contained insinuations of bias, lack of impartiality and lack of independence and implied that the judiciary is subservient to (Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong) and/or the (People’s Action Party) and is a tool for silencing political dissent.”

The Human Rights Watch has a different view, calling on the country to stop using legal tactics to stifle criticism. Dow Jones, publisher of WSJ, says it “strongly disagrees with the court’s analysis."